I was an aero/HPV/velomobile nerd way back when... (found some old drawings of mine) - Fuel Economy, Hypermiling, EcoModding News and Forum

MetroMPG · 02-06-2010, 05:51 PM

Yesterday I found these old pictures of two concept (and one real!) recumbent concept trikes I made up. I don't even remember doing them.

(Back in the old days, before there was such thing as Photoshop, if you wanted to imagine how a concept might look, you actually put it on paper. Amazing, but true!)

It surprised me to find these, because I'd still love to make/buy a recumbent/faired trike. I don't remember being interested in them as a kid.

Have a laugh at the (lack of) steering geometry. (And lack of clearance to actually steer much.)

Sorry about the blurriness of this one... It's front-wheel drive with rear wheel steering!

Speaking of FWD/RWS, the drawing below is of the actual trike that I made when I was 12 (OK, I "designed" and had my grandfather weld for me out of a cut up bike):

I have a photo of me riding it, but I couldn't find it.

Yes, front wheel drive with coaster brake (rear of the bike flipped upside down). That's a caster type arrangement on the left rear, and tiller steering on the right rear (the front half of the bike).

It was actually really fun to ride... unless you got going too fast. Especially fun to ride on packed snow/ice!

Jyden · 02-06-2010, 05:58 PM

Actually not so bad designs - no - just put a good 12V motor in there, and it will go 40 mph

MetroMPG · 02-06-2010, 06:20 PM

I don't think I'd want to go 40 on the delta one! It would end in tears ... after a spectacular tank-slapper.

Cd · 02-06-2010, 08:37 PM

Wow.
Darin I had no idea you were such a fine artist ! Thanks for sharing.
( Also, do you still do art ?, 'cause if not you are wasting a hell of a lot of talent ! )

MetroMPG · 02-08-2010, 11:39 AM

No, I don't do it... for fun anyway. It's like pulling teeth!

Christ · 02-08-2010, 12:48 PM

I really like that first one. That's somewhat the design I'm thinking of for my own reverse trike, except I was thinking about fairing in the wheels, too, since it's not possible for me to use really thin ones. They'd have to be mountain-bike-ish wheels, because of the types of roads and terrain I'd be using it on at speed.

I'd be perfectly happy with 40-45 MPH, since it's much faster than walking, and nobody says anything about bikes on the streets out here, since there's really no other place to ride them.

MetroMPG · 02-08-2010, 01:04 PM

I like the first one too -- I'd ride it! Despite the ridiculously large turning circle it would have

Also also despite its silly spoke pattern. I guess I hadn't paid much attention to spokes before drawing those up!

Christ · 02-08-2010, 01:11 PM

Wow, I just noticed those spokes are... umm... well... yeah!

Piwoslaw · 02-08-2010, 02:42 PM

Darin, those are amazing pictures you drew as a kid!?! Wow! Respect.

I could never draw freehand. Yes, there are things I can't do

Quote:

Originally Posted by MetroMPG

(Back in the old days, before there was such thing as Photoshop, if you wanted to imagine how a concept might look, you actually put it on paper. Amazing, but true!)

Yeah, those were the days...

MetroMPG · 02-08-2010, 05:53 PM

Well, by "kid" I mean "teenager".

(Definition of "kid" increases with my actual age.

)